For non-believers: What evidence would it take for you to believe in 'god'?

by jay88 176 Replies latest jw friends

  • Pika_Chu
    Pika_Chu

    Perhaps he could write better, more convincing Watchtower mags...Lol.

    I think it really depends on the definition of "God." If we're talking about religious Gods, oh boy, so far nothing convinces me. In order to believe in those gods, he would have to talk to us or something. I mean, an all-powerful, all-knowing, presumably intelligent being higher than ourselves would most DEFINITALLY have to communicate with us by doing more than "giving us signs" and stuff. If he communicated with each and every human being, I would likely be convinced. Such collective subjectivity is pretty much what objectivity is. We rather consider it fact that the sky is blue because it is the general consensus. We only "know" it is blue subjectively. But because everyone agrees with us, the line between opinion and fact gets blurred. That way, it would be at least somewhat convincing. I mean, it wouldn't just be someone "hearing" god's voice or having him "intervene" or something, it would be everyone experiencing this. Actually, a god like that would be cool. Just as long as he's cool with me being an agnostic-atheist-humanist. But otherwise, people have to resort to this thing called "faith" in order to believe.

    As far as other definitions of the word, such as, a being or type of beings higher than humans in the universe, I think this would be far more likely. Actually, I think we could actually INVENT a god. like, take a guy, build him a giant robot, make him super intelligent, make him biologically immortal...if we had technology like that, we could all be gods...but, then, we'd all be the same, so...no one is God anymore...

    I consider myself an open-minded skeptic. This is a VERY interesting question, and, now that I think about it, it would be rather difficult to convince me of God. But I don't blame it on stubborness. I just think proving the EXISTENCE of ANYTHING, without a degree of subjectivity would prove to be a real doozy. Can you convince me the internet exists? I believe it does because of my own subjective experience. It interacts with me. Other people see it. I can assume it exists on the basis of supporting evidence which also exists. For example, I'm pretty sure I'm talking to real people right now. I'm pretty sure I've got a wi'fi connection. I'm pretty sure I'm interacting with something that exists, as we speak...Oh, geez, hope that didn't sound to indicative of insanity...

  • Pika_Chu
    Pika_Chu

    My point being, it is nearly impossible to prove/disprove god using SOLID evidnence, the way I see it. No one can prove "existance" without being subjective, if we define existence as the state of being perceptible. That leaves us with only subjective accounts, which are always mere speculations, shaped by our expectations. What you interpret as prayer fulfillment, I will likely chalk up to good coincidence.

  • jay88
    jay88

    I agree Pika_Chu. Since god existantence would be a matter of wide scale subjectivety, then the dilemma 'could be' that 'only certain people' possess the 'god gene'. (the ability for god to speak to them)

  • PSacramento
    PSacramento

    If we look back at this thread we can see that pretty much ALL the proof/evidence that would "convince" a non-believer could be dismissed by any other non-believer in the same fashion as is done today:

    RE: Personal revelation - mental illness, delussion, hallucination

    Group revelation - group hallucination, ulterior motives, delussion, collective suggestion, etc.

  • Nickolas
    Nickolas

    I think the resurrection proof might defeat your statement, PSac. My parents sitting at my dinner table for all the family to see would be pretty convincing. If I saw them and nobody else did, well then you'd have a point.

  • ziddina
    ziddina
    "For non-believers: What evidence would it take for you to believe in 'god'?..."

    Aaaaaarrrrrgh.....

    There's that same tunnel-vision short-sightedness, again....

    WHICH "god"????

    Do you mean the OLDEST versio n of "god" - actually, "Goddess" - that's over TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND years old, or that "Johnny-come-lately" 3,000 to 4,000-year-old Middle Eastern male volcano "god" of the bible???

    Ain't never gonna happen...

    But that inevitable assumption that bounces out of Christians' mouths whenever the subject comes up, demonstrates the overwhelming blindness existing within Christian minds...

    Of course, if they could SEE it, they'd stop being Christians...

    Like I said, ain't never gonna happen...

    Zid

  • bohm
    bohm

    i think the best way to answer the question is for the believer to consider what would convince him or her beyond any doubt that a very non-christian deity existed, lets just take the FSM. i am sure any believer will agree that it is possible to imagine some kind of observation, for example him showing up in noodly glory and touching stuff, which would convince him or her the FSM is real.

    if one assume the average atheist is interlectually honest, then evidence of that type -- but applied to the christian god -- would certainly be more than enough to convince any atheist Jesus is alive.

    Personally "I AM GOD" written in big letters on the moon would properly do it for me. Aliens would be the only viable alternative explanation, and quite frankly i think i would find God(s) to be a more likely.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit